Stacking superstructure for pallets



v pallet below the deck boards.

2,926,793 STACKING surnnsrnucruan FOR PALLETS Verner W. Sparks and DuaneA. Jensen, .OgdembUtah, assignors to the United States of America asrepresented by the Secretary of the Army i Application July2, 1959,Serial No. 824,757

9 Claims. or. 248-420) (Granted under Title 35, Us. Code 1952 see. 266)The invention described herein,-if patented, may be manufactured andused by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without thepayment to us of any royalty thereon.

Thepresent invention relates to pallets and more particularly toStacking superstructure for use on such pallets. i

In the use of superstructures to permit stacking or tiering of loadedpallets, it is essential that the superstructure be applicable to anypallet of ,a particular size and type without the necessity of modifyingthe construction of the pallet or superstructure. It is also essentialthat x the superstructure be sulficiently stable when installed on thepallet that it willsupport a tier of loaded pallets with completesafety. An important object of-the present. a

invention is to provide a superstructure having these characteristics. ii i Another. object of the invention is the provision. of asuperstructure of this type which is easily installed or removed, whichis inexpensive to manufacture, and which is strong and durable in use.

Other objects and advantagesiof the invention will be apparent duringthe course of thefollowing description. In the accompanying drawingswhich form a part of this specification and wherein like numerals denotelike parts throughout,

Figure l is a perspective view of a pallet on which is mounted asuperstructure embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating the tie-bar portion ofthe superstructure and pallet, parts being broken away,

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional vie-w on the line 33 of Figure 2,parts being broken away, and,

, Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 ofFigure 2, parts being broken away.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration isshown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 10 designatesthe usual twoway wooden pallet having spaced deck boards 11 mounted a onthe usual stringers 12. The superstructure comprises a pair of endframes each of which has a base runner in the form of A pair of spacedtubular uprights 14 are rigidly mounted on the base runner 13 and areconnected adjacent their upper ends by a suitable cross bar 15. Toprails 16 may also be in the form of angle irons and connect the upperends of the corresponding uprights 14 of opposite end frames by means ofdepending sleeves 17 which telescopically, and rotatably receive theupper ends of the uprights. The construction of the superstructure thusfar described is usual, and may. vary considerably. The presentinvention is concerned with securing this type of superstructure to thepallet.

A central tie-bar 18 has been provided to connect 7 2,926,793 PatentedMar. 1, 196-!) 2 the central portions of the base runners frames and tosecure 13 of the end them to the pallet. The tie-bar 18 may be of. anysuitable cross section, but is shown as rectangular in sectionboardsiron base runners 13 and snugly and the stringers 12, as seen in Figure3 to hold the runners 13 firmly in place on top of the deck board endsEach ofthe clips 19 is provided on the underside of its centralhorizontal portion with a depending pin or lug 23, the lower end ofwhich is preferably tapered to facilitate entry into one of the pin orlug 23 may be swaged; welded or otherwise secured to the clip 19.

' In mounting the superstructure on a pallet, the'top rails 16 and thetwo end. frames placed in before placement of the tiebar 18, or the endframes may be placed separately in position, the tie-bar'positioned, andthen the top rails engaged with the uprights 14. The end clips 19 may belowered into operative position simultaneously, at'a time, .therebeingsufficient tolerance in thel'fit of the clips over the runners 13 andstringers 12 to'permitisucl'i 23 engaged in the nearest open- 13projecting The tie-bar 18 will be positioned within the deck-board slotso it is restrained against movement laterally of the pallet by adjacentdeck boards. When the pins 23, which are of sturdy construction, areengaged in selected openings 22 in the base runners 13, the end framesare also restrained against any movement laterally of the pallet;

The end clips are preferably of sturdy construction, and may be formedintegrally with tie-bar 18 or secured thereto by any suitable means suchas welding or riveting. arms 21 of the end clips must necessarily be ofa size to pass freely through the deck slots. The clips 19 snuglyembrace the base runners and pallet end stringers and firmly hold thesuperstructure to which the tiebar is attached. This stability is veryimportant when and of a width such as to be freely received within thegap or slot between adjacent deck 11. The ends of the tie-bar carrysubstantially inverted U-shaped clips 19 adapted to fit over the angleembrace the runners 13* 19 are of a length sub-.

eachbase runner is proopenings 22. The depending position on the palletor they may be positioned one i As will be seen left or right in thefigure will be resisted i the pallets are stacked and loaded. Inaddition, the tiebar and end clip construction enables easy erection ofthe superstructure on a pallet by one man, due to the fact that one ofthe end clips 19 will hold an end frame in position while the other endframe is being positioned, and the tie-bar and its end clips will holdthe two end frames in position while the top rails are being placed inoperative position. Due to the series of openings 22, the superstructurecan be applied to any pallet of the proper size without modification ofthe pallet.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed, it is to be understood that various changes in the size,shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

We claim:

1. The combination with a pallet having end stringers and spaced deckboards supported on the end stringers, of a stacking superstructurecomprising end frames each of which includes a base runner resting uponthe ends of the deck boards, means connecting the tops of opposite endframes, a tie-bar disposed in a space between two adjacent deck boards,and end clips carried by the tie-bar and provided with spaced dependingarms closely embracing the base runner and end stringer at each end ofthe pallet.

2. The device of claim 1 in which there is an interlocking connectionbetween each tie-bar end clip and the embraced base runner to hold suchbase runner against movement laterally with respect to the deck boards.

3. The combination with a pallet having end stringers and spaced deckboards supported on the end stringers, of a stacking superstructurecomprising a pair of end frames each of which includes a baserunnerresting upon the ends of the deck boards, means connecting the tops ofthe end frames, a substantially inverted U-shaped clip embracing eachbase runner and the adjacent end stringer, said end clips passing overthe tops of the runners and down the sides of the runners and stringersin alignment with one of the spaces between two adjacent deck boards.

4. The superstructure of claim 3 in which a tie-bar connects the two endclips across the top of the pallet.

5. The superstructure of claim 3 in which a tie-bar connects the two endclips and is arranged in the deckboard space with which the end clipsare aligned.

6. The superstructure of claim 3 in which the end clips and base runnersare held against relative movement longitudinally of the base runner bymeans of a pin and a pin-receiving opening connection between the clipsand runners.

7. The superstructure of claim 3 in which a tie-bar connects the two endclips and is arranged in the deckboard space with which the end clipsare aligned, and in which a pin and pin-receiving opening connectionbetween the base runners and end clips combines with engagement betweenthe deck boards and tie-bar and end clips to prevent relative movementbetween the superstructure and pallet.

8. The combination with a pallet having end stringers and spaced apartdeck boards supported on the stringers, of a stacking superstructurecomprising a pair of end frames each of which includes a base runnerresting upon the ends of the deck boards, means connecting the tops ofthe end frames, a substantially inverted U-shaped removable clip closelyembracing each base runner and the adjacent end stringer, said clipspassing over the tops of the runners and down the sides of the runnersand stringers in alignment with one of the spaces between two adjacentdeck boards, a portion of each clip extending down through such aligneddeck space, each base runner being provided with a longitudinal seriesof spaced openings, and each clip being provided with an inwardlyextending pin engaging a selected one of the openings in the adjacentrunner to lock the clips and runners against relative movement.

9. The superstructure of claim 8 in which a tie-bar connects the tworemovable clips and is arranged within the deck-board space with whichthe clips are aligned.

' No references cited.

